Topic : Mark Allen

The week before the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii is known as "Kona Week," and it is a tense time for the athletes racing. In this chapter from Iron War, Mark Allen and Dave Scott make their final preparations and race predictions.

Peter Reid has had moments of remarkable fragility. While the hardworking, iron-willed competitor saw himself making up for average talents with an unrelenting work ethic that made him the best bet to win Ironman Hawaii from 1998 to 2005, Reid often found his toughest opponent was his own body.

Thomas Hellriegel accomplished what no German had done before him: He won Ironman Hawaii in 1997. In the buildup to that victory, his legendary appetite for training likely pushed him to cover more miles than any triathlete before or since. And on that long road he lost two heroic duels that prompted two of the greatest wins in the race’s history before his iron persistence rewarded him for his battles with disappointment, illness, and sacrifice.

"Iron War is really a book that should be on your bookshelf if you have even the slightest interest in the sport of triathlon, but it also is a great read for anyone looking for inspiration in general.” — Slowtwitch.com